Ahead of COP26, which began on October 31 in Glasgow and runs until November 12, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) led a joint statement from the pharmaceutical industry alongside other global associations.
Organisations included in the statement were: The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), Farmindustria, IMC, The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA), Japan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (JPMA), the French Pharmaceutical Companies Association (LEEM), Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (vfa).
The statement said: “Global industry has led the way in tackling Covid-19 and we are fully committed to partnering with governments and health systems across the world to take concerted action to address climate change. We are investing in research and development in greener products, as well as more sustainable production and distribution practices, that enable us to deliver medical innovation to patients in ways that protect and support the environment.
“Our companies are already working on initiatives to reduce carbon emissions across our own operations and value chains, invest in renewable electricity and energy efficiency measures, recycle and cut water use, and bespoke projects which will impact positively on the environment.
“Our member companies have taken significant actions to address climate change – 80% of the largest innovative companies have set net-zero or carbon-neutrality targets and many more have committed to ambitious short-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction efforts.
“Our companies’ efforts are already yielding results in terms of emissions reductions, energy efficiency savings, and increased shares of renewable electricity. Investment in science and research, alongside co-ordinated global cooperation, will deliver solutions to the biggest challenges of our age including the climate crisis.”
Image credit: Karwai Tang / UK Government
